Some Other Beginning's End
by manga
Summary: Spoilers for the ending arc of the manga The battle is over but our friends are separated. What will they do to be together again? Inuyasha X Kagome and some Sango X Miroku.
1. Some Other Beginning's End

Some Other Beginning's End

"Hold tight!" Inuyasha shouted at Kagome before ducking and jumping 20 feet sideways.

"Hold still!" Kagome answered sharply, losing an arrow in the maneuver. "How am I supposed to hit him?"

"You'd rather he get the chance to hit us instead?" he snapped.

"Er…"

With a whistling thrum, Hiraikotsu blasted past them severing the tentacles headed in their direction. "Kagome!" they heard Sango shout over the noise of the battle. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" she called back just before Inuyasha dodged again, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

"What're you waiting for? Shoot!" he demanded.

Dark thoughts about a certain impatient half-demon were pushed aside as she readied another arrow. Too few remained in her quiver and Kagome shivered in the chill that clutched at her heart. _I will do this_, she vowed silently. _I must do this. Failure is not an option; I deny it even as a possibility!_ Nocking the arrow, she closed her eyes, her recently returned mystic sense searching Naraku's massive new form for the Jewel. _Ha_! Inuyasha's continuing efforts to keep them alive jostled her aim again but she was too deep in her new powers to let that bother her now. Putting every shred of power into the arrow that she could, she drew and fired, willing the arrow to hit the target and only the target.

Smirking, Naraku dodged the mystic arrow. His smirk faded into something else as the arrow jinked, keeping up with him. He threw a mass of tentacles into the arrow's path but the arrow merely phased through them. The time he'd tired to manipulate Kagome into tainting herself by killing the priestess Hitomiko – and the spectacularly appalling results – flashed through his mind as the arrow hit. It punched through his body, purifying as it went and forcing the Jewel of Four Souls out.

Inuyasha was too busy dodging an attack from Byakuya to see the arrow hit or what happened after but there was no way he could fail to notice Kagome's desperate lunge from his back. _What the __**hell**__ is she doing?!_ he swore, spinning around. Eyes widening as he followed the glittering arc of the Jewel, he launched himself after her.

Naraku turned and reached for the Jewel.

Kagome reached for the Jewel.

Inuyasha reached for the Jewel.

The explosion left a crater five meters deep and twice that wide.


	2. Another Beginning A

Some Other Beginning's End

Another Beginning

"Geez, you idiot!" Ba-bam! Inuyasha stood over Miroku, panting furiously. "Say that FIRST!"

Miroku felt gingerly at the newest lump on his head. "Thank you," he said dryly. "Between the battle, the explosion and you, now I may truly say I don't have an unbruised spot on my body." Turning to Sango, he caught one of her hands. "But I'm sure my beautiful, compassionate Sango will tenderly minister to each and every p—"

Slapping a hand over his mouth, Sango glared at him. "Consider yourself lucky I don't add to your bruises myself, monk." She turned back to Inuyasha. "But what do you mean?"

In response, the dog demon snorted. His hands moved to hide in the tattered remnants of his long sleeves. "You said Kagome disappeared in a blue flash that was full of stars, right?"

"That is how it appeared," Miroku confirmed. Sango nodded along with him.

"Well then she's FINE," Inuyasha snapped. "That's the magic of the well. It's the magic that takes her from our world to hers." He loomed over the others, angry all over again. "SO WHAT THE HELL WAS WITH THAT 'WE CAN'T FIND KAGOME' STUFF?!!!"

"How were we supposed to know?" Sango retorted. "You and Kagome are the only ones who can pass through the well!" She wished fervently that the power of his Beads of Subjugation would work for her, at least this once.

Inuyasha made the strangled, growling sound he always did when confronted with basic logic. "Bah!" he said, turning his head away sharply.

The others sighed.

* * *

"Oi!"

Calmly Miroku continued building the fire. "Yes, Inuyasha?" he asked with deliberate peace.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"What does it look like we're doing?" Sango asked, busy with her own preparations.

The scowl on Inuyasha's face deepened. "It looks like you're making camp."

"Ah," the monk responded. "That might be because we are."

"Buncha' weaklings! What're ya stopping now for? I can still see that stinkin' crater from here!" The jingling of rings gave Inuyasha some warning but not enough and Miroku's staff came down with a resounding crack on his head. Swearing, the half-demon spun on the monk, only to draw back from the hard look in the other man's eyes.

"That's right," Miroku said with deceptive mildness. "We're weak humans. It's not as if we've just been through a battle with Naraku and his offshoots. Nor been at the center of a mystic explosion. None of us have injuries to tend, nor do we need sleep. Really, we've had such nice, peaceful nights during this last hunt for Naraku; I can see why you're so full of get-up-and-go."

"Bah."

The monk's face softened and he knelt down by the crouching demon. "We understand that you're anxious to return to Kagome, Inuyasha, but we can't keep up the pace you set. It's hard enough at the best of times; it might as well be impossible now. Besides," he went on, "it's not as if you were completely unscathed either."

Inuyasha looked away, frowning. "Ah, it's nothing. I'm fine. You worry too much."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd seen what we had to dig through to find you. Your Fire-rat Robes have taken such a beating they have yet to regenerate. I'm sure Kagome-sama is just as anxious to see you again but I know she would want you to take care of yourself." Inuyasha shrugged unhappily then snorted and leapt into a nearby tree.

"Fine," he muttered, then shouted down at the camp. "But we're moving on at first light!!"

* * *

"AAAAA!"

"WOOOO!"

An explosion of birds rippled through the forest as they and other animals fled the wild noises coming from the camp. Inuyasha was down from his tree in a flash, brandishing Tetsusaiga. "What in hell is going on here?!!" he roared. His wild search for trouble found nothing but his companions jumping around and shrieking like idiots.

"We did it!" they shouted, beaming.

"Did it?" Inuyasha snorted. "Did what?"

In answer, Miroku shoved his hand into the irritated half-demon's face. His right hand. His _bare_ right hand. "We've come so close so many times," he babbled, "I didn't even think to check. It wasn't until we were tending wounds and Sango asked me how the Wind Tunnel was faring after the last batch of Hell Wasps. I realized then that I felt nothing in my hand. Since I drank that potion of Yakuro Dokusen's there's been no pain but this… there was simply _nothing_."

Suddenly Sango collapsed, shaking. "It's over," she sobbed, her face in her hands. Concerned, Kirara hopped up on her shoulder and licked her mistress's cheek. "It's really over!" She cried silently for a bit before raising a face that, though tear-stained, was beaming. "Now Father and the others can rest in peace."

Miroku dropped down in front of her, gripping her hands intensely. "Yes," he said. "Now we can start our family!" He hauled her into an enthusiastic embrace. Surprisingly, she let him go on for a minute; then, of course, he got too heated and she slapped him.

"Not right _now_, you lecherous excuse for a monk," she admonished, blushing, but she didn't look as displeased as she might have. "At least wait until after the wedding." Miroku sighed in disappointment. "I'm sure we can ask Priestess Kaede to officiate when we get to the village." Miroku perked up at that.

"Well, better get to sleep!" he said hurriedly, trying to rush everyone off to bed, despite the fact that the sun had barely set. "We're moving at first light!"

Sango's blush deepened. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and returned to his tree.

* * *

Whump! Squeak! The breath was driven out of Shippo as something large and familiar smelling landed on him. "Inuyasha!" he shouted angrily, knowing intuitively who was at fault for his rude awakening. He pushed Kagome's backpack off and stood up, glaring around for the half-demon. There was no red-clad, arrogant figure in the small hut though, only Sango hugging her little brother.

"Kohaku!" She pulled back, beaming, and cupped his face in her hands. "It's over!" Tears of joy and relief slid down her cheeks. "It's truly over!"

Kohaku threw his arms around her neck. "Sis!"

The mat covering the door rustled as Miroku joined them inside. "Ah, Priestess Kaede," he greeted the old woman warmly.

"Hey!" Shippo interrupted. "Where's Kagome? And that jerk, Inuyasha?"

"Kagome-sama was returned to her home country. Inuyasha has gone to fetch her," the monk answered briefly. He had a mission and would not be delayed. He drew his breath to begin again.

Inuyasha's scream echoed from the woods through the village.

* * *

He'd been restless all morning, barely speaking to Sango or Miroku. He should have been shouting his excitement to the sky, as they had done. He should have made them listen to him brag about every single thing he'd done in the last battle. He should have been swearing and complaining about having to haul Kagome's huge bag.

_I have a bad feeling._

They'd made good time and arrived back at the village by late afternoon. He'd sped up when the rice fields came into sight, quickly leaving the others behind. They'd shouted after him but he'd ignored them. He'd meant his confident words to them after the battle. It had clearly been the well magic. The well magic was familiar and that had made it seem okay. In the long watches of the night, as he'd waited impatiently for dawn, the doubts had set in. Why would the well magic have been at that last battle with Naraku? Why hadn't they been able to find the Jewel of Four Souls?

_I have a bad feeling_.

He'd dashed through the village, barely pausing to chuck the backpack into Kaede's hut. Miroku and Sango would have to answer the questions. There was a sick twisting in his gut. He had to get to the well.

_I have a __**really bad**__ feeling._

The well was still there. It looked the same. Everything smelled the same but the feeling didn't go away. He flung himself into the cool depths.

The blue light filled with stars didn't catch him. When he landed at the bottom, there was no well-house overhead, only a clear blue sky. There was no heavy, tingly scent of magic, just old, cold earth. He leapt out then back down again. Again, no stars. Again he leapt. Again, only blue sky.

_**No.**_Too shocked for tears, he began digging frantically._C'mon, c'mon…_ His claws scratched on bedrock and still the magic didn't come. "Kagome," he breathed hoarsely. "Kagome, _please_." The bad feeling slid away, replaced by a cold certainty that burned like Sesshomaru's poison. "**KAGOME**!!"


	3. Another Beginning A cont'd

Some Other Beginning's End

Another Beginning A part two

Haggard amber eyes blinked then, with effort, focused. _Purple_. Whoever was standing in front of him was wearing purple. Who did he know that could afford to wear purple? Whoever it was had spoken, he was sure. With a sigh and a rustle of fabric, the person knelt. _Oh, right. Miroku_. He squinted irritably at the monk. The soft, pitying look on the other man's face made his ears twitch in aggravation. Miroku reached into his robes and handed him something before he could think of anything biting to say.

"Here," he said kindly. "Blow."

"Whaddya dredeing bee like a—" the thick, congested sound of his own voice forestalled him. _Shit. No wonder I didn't smell him coming_, he thought. Wordlessly, he made use of the large leaves the monk had given him then sourly chucked them down the well. He'd thought his eyes had dried days ago but the wavering in his sight and the congestion in his head proved him wrong. "What do you want?" he grumbled, leaning back against the well again.

Miroku stood and, to Inuyasha's astonishment, bowed low. "This humble Miroku seeks the honor of having the noble Inuyasha at his side in the coming nuptials."

A grunt. "So you're finally going through with it, eh?"

With a frown Miroku straightened. His eyes narrowed as he studied Inuyasha; then, sighing, he sat on the grass next to him. "Yeah. Sango'd rather wait for Kagome—" Inuyasha winced "—but I told her Kagome wouldn't want us to put our lives on hold for her."

"DON'T DO THAT!" Inuyasha exploded, surging to his feet and glaring down at the stunned monk. Hands clenched angrily and a growl punctuated his words.

Miroku stood and glared back. "Then when can we get married, Inuyasha? It's been a month! I'm sorry Kagome's gone but--!"

"I don't care when you get married, just stop talking about Kagome like she's dead!" the half-demon shouted. Before the monk could respond, Inuyasha's eyes widened and he surged at him, knocking him away from the well.

Miroku caught his balance and watched Inuyasha warily. The red-clad demon was leaning precariously out over the well, sniffing intently. "Again?" he asked as Inuyasha slumped dejectedly.

"Yeah," Inuyasha responded thickly, hiding his eyes behind his bangs as he slid down against the well once more. "The scent's not right. The magic ain't the same." He raised his head and glared at Miroku. "You can stop lookin' at me like that. I'm not gonna try jumping in again."

Kneeling again, Miroku put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. With an expression so intent and sincere that the younger man couldn't look away – despite the way it made his ears twitch – Miroku spoke. "You're not alone in this, you know. We miss her too."

"S-Shut up!" Inuyasha barked back, wincing at the crack in his voice. "It's not the same and you know it!"

"No. It's not," Miroku responded with a sad, understanding smile that made Inuyasha want to deck him.

"Bah."

Miroku sighed. "I see my words cannot reach you. Perhaps it is time to take a leaf from Kouga's book."

Inuyasha looked up just as the monk's staff came down on his head.

"You idiot," Miroku seethed, "I'm not asking you to be AT the wedding, I'm asking you to be IN the wedding."

Inuyasha gaped. "Say wha--?"

"Sango and I discussed it. If Kagome returns, we will extend her the same invitation."

"_When_ Kagome returns."

Stifling a sigh, Miroku turned to leave. "We will wait a little longer. We need to fetch Mushin also. But we won't wait forever, Inuyasha." After a few steps he paused and threw over his shoulder. "A man has needs, you know."

A fist-sized rock bounced off his head as he left and he smiled.

* * *

The wedding was simple. Kaede stood in the officiator's place to the right of the altar and Umeko -- one of the young women from the village – took on the role of shrine maiden and stood on the left. Sango and Miroku knelt in front of Kaede, looking peaceful and happy in the new clothes Mushin had brought as a wedding gift. Inuyasha, to his surprise, knelt behind them in the position of the go-between. Behind him sat Mushin and Kohaku, representing the bride and groom's families. Youngest, least related and thus last, was Shippo. As Kaede began the purifying ritual, Inuyasha fingered the small red scrap of fabric that Sango had tied around his bead necklace that morning.

"_Hey, what are you doing?!" he'd snapped when he'd found Sango digging through Kagome's pack. "That's Kagome's!"_

_Sango had stood, brushing her long hair back out of her way and clutching something small and red – one of Kagome's uniform ties. "This way," she'd said, her eyes suspiciously bright even for a bride, "you can represent Kagome too. If we'd never met you guys… Without her support… Well, let's just say you've earned the right to stand as our go-between." Shippo had immediately butted in, demanding to know what he got, since he'd been part of the group even before the demon-slayer and the monk._

_Damn it, Kagome_, he fumed, _You should be the one here. You know I ain't good at this formal junk. And you were the one always tryin' ta tell me they loved each other, anyway._ Kaede put away the paper-decorated purifying staff and moved on with the ceremony. Inuyasha tuned out her words on marriage, concentrating on the soothing scent that drifted up from the scrap of Kagome's uniform. He wanted to be good for his friends and not wreck this special time for them, he did, but it was hard to see their happiness and think that his might never come back.

"And ye, Inuyasha?" Kaede's aged voice broke into his thoughts. The old priestess was looking at him with some amusement; beyond her he could see Miroku and Sango watching him with gentle tolerance, as if they guessed what track his thoughts had been following. His eyes narrowed in a glare that didn't let up until they glared back.

"And me what, ol' ha—" Sango flicked her eyes meaningfully at Hiraikotsu. Though she hadn't brought into this sacred space, the gesture was clear. He changed tack, as mindful of his determination not to muck up their ceremony as what Sango would do to him if he did. "Er, honored priestess?"

"Do ye, as go-between and in the presence of these witnesses, give favor to this marriage?"

_Oh, this part already? Good, this stupid thing is almost over. _ Kaede's raised eyebrow warned him and he hastily converted a habitual, careless "Yeah," to a firm, clear, "Yes." With a nod, Kaede turned and gestured to the young shrine maiden. The heavy cloth of the hakama and the unfamiliar attention of her role making her move stiffly, the girl took three staked sake cups and placed them in front of Sango. Before she moved to oversee the Three Times Three Exchange, Kaede dropped a hand to Inuyasha's shoulder in a brief, sympathetic gesture. He squashed a snarl trying to work its way out of his throat and shrugged it off. Unperturbed, the old priestess continued on her way.

Concentrating fiercely, Umeko poured the first cup. Graceful as always, Sango brought it to her lips, sipped then passed the cup to Miroku. Miroku winked cheekily at her before adopting his best "decorous monk" manner and taking his own sip. Twice more they shared the cups then, beaming, they stood and took cups to Kohaku and Mushin who exchanged cups too, signifying the new family union.

Inuyasha watched all this passively until he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he found Shippo holding a cup and wearing a look that managed to combine begging and bravado. A smile tugged briefly at the corner of his mouth; he nodded and solemnly accepted Shippo's exchange. _Well, Kagome_, he thought afterward as he watched Shippo scamper happily over to congratulate (or more likely, tease) the newlyweds, _You missed it. It's been two months. Where the hell __**are**__ you? What are you doing? _Miroku leaned over to Sango and said something that made her blush. Before she could hit him, he pecked her cheek affectionately and smiled. Her hand dropped, leaving the smack undelivered, and she smiled back._Do you miss me like I miss you?_

* * *

"Where have you been?" Miroku asked the dog-eared shadow that approached his feet. "I could have used your help earlier. I even checked the well." Finishing with one ring, he looked up before beginning to polish the next one on his staff. The ring slipped from his surprised fingers.

A dirty, bloodied Inuyasha shrugged without meeting the other man's eyes. "Nowhere."

* * *

"I make it five," Sango said gravely as she swung the pot on its hanger over the fire. "What's your count, Miroku?"

Shippo and Kohaku looked up from the top they'd been idly spinning. "Count? What count?" the little fox demon asked.

"I make it five as well," the monk said quietly. There was a serious set to his mouth as he stood up from where he'd been leaning against the doorframe and came into the hut, fastening the mat over the door behind himself.

"Five what?" Shippo demanded.

"Keep your voice down," Sango admonished, her own voice low. "Five fights – five fights that we've seen, anyway – that Inuyasha has come out of more the worse for wear than he should have."

"I thought the big dummy was looking at little ragged around the edges. He's been getting sloppy, huh?" Shippo's evident concern contradicted his words. "Hey, Miroku, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

The monk nodded, taking his usual place by the fire. "It's like that time with Royakan."

"Who?" Sango and Kohaku asked together.

"Before we met you, my lovely bride," Miroku answered with a sly smile at Sango, "when our struggle against Naraku was just beginning. We had a dangerous encounter with Sesshomaru."

"Is there any other kind?" Shippo muttered.

"In the course of which, Sesshomaru – with the aid of a human arm – stole and wielded the Tetsusaiga, stuck his arm through Inuyasha's stomach then nearly killed Kagome by hitting her with the nearest thing to hand – Inuyasha himself."

Sango knew Inuyasha's protective and guilt-ridden instincts well. "What did he do?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"The jerk pushed her through the well and stuffed a tree down it!" Shippo burst out.

Kohaku frowned in confusion. "What does this have to do with Royakan?"

"Royakan was a demon that Naraku – whose role in Kikyo's death we'd just learned -- set on us shortly after. I had thought Inuyasha's difficulty fighting Royakan was due to his wounds but when Shippo brought Kagome through the well again, he easily defeated the other demon."

The little fox demon folded his arms and nodded officiously. "Inuyasha fights better when Kagome's around. B-but--" he teared up and crawled to Sango for comfort.

Miroku finished his thought. "But Kagome is gone now, so he's not fighting as hard as he did." Everyone was quiet as they thought about their missing friend. After a bit, Miroku stood. "Come, Shippo. Let's make sure we've got enough water and firewood for the night before the sun sets."

Kohaku stayed behind with his sister as he often did. Sango finished working on dinner while Kohaku worked quietly on various simple household tasks. "Maybe it's not so much that Inuyasha has gotten sloppier as that Inuyasha has become too strong for an ordinary demon to kill?" he said thoughtfully to himself. "Even if he let them?"

"Hm?" Sango looked up from the pot she was stirring. "What was that?"

He looked away, self-conscious. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

On the roof above them, two white dog-ears twitched.

* * *

The urgent scuff of feet on the path in front of the hut had Sango jumping out the door even before she heard the yelling. One of the local farmers, Tomo, stood there gasping out his news, one hand clutched to his side. "Demon… headed straight… for the village!"

The village was swarming like a kicked anthill, parents, children and friends all calling out for each other and all running for shelter. The commotion brought Miroku and Shippo back in a hurry.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Sango demanded, swinging up on a battle-ready Kirara.

"I don't know --Sango, you can't go into battle in your kimono!" Miroku protested.

"There's no time to change!" she snapped back. "Why isn't Inuyasha here?"

The monk shook his head. "I haven't seen him since the other night."

Nodding her head sharply, Sango barked, "You, Kohaku and Shippo stay here. Try to keep the demon away from the villagers. I'll see if Kirara and I can find him."

"Wait, Sis." Everyone turned to look at Kohaku, alerted by the odd tone of his voice. "I think it's okay. We know this demon."

Bakusaiga displayed prominently at his side, Sesshomaru strode up the path. Behind him came Jaken and Rin. The little girl was towing the dragon Ah-Un.

"Sesshomaru," Miroku greeted the greater demon tensely.

"I'm glad to see you and Rin survived the battle with Naraku, Lord Sesshomaru," Kohaku added quietly.

A faint frown creased Sesshomaru's face and he leveled an affronted glare at the boy. "You speak as if that thing could ever have threatened one such as I," he said coolly.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo watched the exchange with some wonder. "Not Lord Sesshomaru, no," Kohaku replied easily. "But after all the trouble we went to to save Rin, it's good to see her well."

"Enough of this." Sesshomaru gestured irritably before becoming impassive once again. "I believe this belongs to you." Reaching over to the bundle draped over the dragon's back, he pushed it unceremoniously into the dust.

A bloody, very bedraggled half-demon fell at their feet. "Inuyasha!!" Shippo screeched, throwing himself on his unconscious friend.

Miroku and Sango whirled as one on Inuyasha's older brother, shouting "What did you do to him?!" Sesshomaru removed Tetsusaiga from the dragon's saddle and laid the battered old sword on the half-demon and walked away. Jaken cleared his throat importantly and glared imperiously at them all.

"My lord Sesshomaru will take Inuyasha's life when and if he chooses; not when its owner seeks to throw it away," the frog-like underworld demon intoned. He shook the Staff of Heads at them in a scolding manner. "Come, Rin," he sniffed and followed his lord.

As she passed him, Kohaku grabbed Rin's sleeve. "Wait, please."

"It's nice to see you too, Kohaku," she smiled at him cheerfully. "I gotta be quick though."

Everyone spoke at once. "What happened?"

"We were walking through the woods and then Lord Sesshomaru told me to stay still. I stayed as still as still – I'm really good at it! – and then I saw this guy," she pointed down at Inuyasha, "come running past me. He yelled really loud and tried to attack Lord Sesshomaru." She frowned down at him indignantly before continuing with a smile. "But Lord Sesshomaru is the strongest in all the world and he beat him easily. Then he said some mean things and Lord Sesshomaru said some mean things too and beat him again." Here Rin sobered briefly. "He was on his knees and he looked really sad. He took his sword and offered it up to Lord Sesshomaru. He held it almost as high as his head! I've never seen anyone do that before! He said something strange, then Lord Sesshomaru booted him in the head," she giggled. "Just like Jaken."

"What did he say?"

Rin paused, thinking. "'I said you could have Tetsusaiga over my dead body. Here's your chance.'"

* * *

Inuyasha woke up that night to a ring of faces that made him very thankful only Kagome could use the Beads of Subjugation against him. The smack Sango delivered gave him a moment of belated sympathy for Miroku.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she snarled at him.

Miroku raised a sardonic eyebrow. "More to the point, _were_ you thinking?"

Hopping onto Inuyasha's chest and glaring for all he was worth, Shippo chimed in too. "Of course he wasn't! The big dummy never thinks!"

Inuyasha frowned, pushing Shippo off as he sat up. _I don't have it in me for this_, he realized, looking at the concerned, angry faces of his friends. He closed his eyes wearily. "I'm sorry."

The soft words fell into the room like cannonballs. If someone had actually dropped cannonballs on Kaede's floor, they could hardly have been more surprised. "Who are you and what have you done with Inuyasha?" Shippo demanded suspiciously.

That earned him a glare almost worthy of the Inuyasha of old. "Little smart-ass."

"Ahem," Miroku cleared his throat crossly. "Getting back to Inuyasha's attempted suicide?"

"I wasn't trying to die!"

Miroku's stare was flat, disbelieving, as were the others'. "Really. You attacked Sesshomaru and offered up your sword because you've decided that he really does deserve the Tetsusaiga then? And knowing how much family feeling you two have for each other, I'm guessing you thought he'd say 'Why thank you, little brother, how kind of you' and walk away?"

"I was trying to get to Kagome."

Three jaws dropped.

"Kagome isn't dead! You're the one who told us!" Sango said, shock nearly overwhelming the anger in her voice.

"Yeah!" Shippo burst in emotionally. "She's in her home country."

"And I'm not," he responded, the soft, pained words saying more than histrionics ever could.

"How is dying going to fix that, you moron?!" Miroku's voice wasn't as harsh as his words.

Inuyasha sighed. His eyes focused on something far away, he tried to explain. "Kagome and Kikyou shared a soul, right? Kikyou died… and the soul came back in Kagome's world. Somehow," his eyes were pained, "they - she - whatever… came back here to me. I thought I could go to her the same way."

"Inuyasha…"

"What else can I do?" He raised empty eyes to them. "Kagome is all I know of home."

* * *

Some time later – it may have been the next day, it may have been the next week – Miroku brought him more than another meal.

With the soft scuff of sandals on floor he stood in front of Inuyasha. The half-demon lifted his eyes to the monk's in puzzlement. Leaning on his staff, Miroku knelt down to where Inuyasha sat against the wall.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"Welcome back," Sango said quietly from the doorway of the shrine. Alerted by something in her tone, Miroku turned to her with a slight frown.

"Sango…?" he asked solicitously.

She folded her arms and glared. "You should have come home first. Instead you came straight to the shrine."

"Well, you know…" he gestured to Inuyasha; other than a brief nod in her direction the half-demon hadn't stopped making his preparations. Shippo wandered over from Sango's side and peered curiously at what Inuyasha was doing.

"You still should have come home first."

"Well what's done is done." He tried to wrap an arm around her waist but she pushed away and moved to stand by Shippo and Inuyasha. Her mouth tightened as she looked things over.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"For the last time, yes, I'm sure," Inuyasha responded peevishly.

"You won't wait a little longer? Say, until the baby's born?"

"_Baby_?" Miroku grabbed her hand and pulled her around to face him. "Did you just say 'baby?'"

She nodded, blushing and smiling hugely.

Miroku was floored. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

She turned haughty. "I told you you should have come straight home."

"I_thought_ I'd smelled something different." Inuyasha was watching their discussion with some impatience but more amusement. "Hey Miroku, I guess now we know why she didn't come with us."

"That's right!" Miroku's eyes just kept getting bigger and rounder. "You knew then?"

Sango shook her head. "I suspected. I waited and Nanami the midwife confirmed it for me while you were gone. I didn't expect you to be gone so long, though! I wanted to tell you right away."

Tenderly the monk pulled his wife into an embrace. "I'm sorry. It was harder to find what we needed than I'd thought it would be."

Unwilling to intrude on such an intimate moment, Inuyasha turned back to what he'd been doing. He ignored the soft words coming from behind him as much for his own peace of mind as out of respect for their privacy.

"So ye are back, are ye?" Kaede stood in the door, observing the mess that had been made of her shrine with as much tolerance as irritation.

"I guess your one eye is good for something after all," Inuyasha responded dryly.

"And ye still intend to go through with this?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!" he burst out. "The next person to ask that is gonna get a taste of my claws!"

"No need to get worked up," Kaede said calmly.

"Look, Sango, I'm sorry," he continued, roughly. "Congratulations on the baby and all that – I'm sure Kagome'll want to hear all about it – but I can't do this anymore. You guys have your happiness. Let me go find mine!"


	4. Another Beginning A concluded

Some Other Beginning's End

Conclusion A

"No way," Souta gaped around a mouthful of onigiri. He stared at his sister, his eyes wide in disbelief. "How can you _not_ want a party? No cake? No _presents?_" He floundered a bit and latched onto an old memory. "Not even karaoke?"

Sighing, Kagome poked at her breakfast. She gave her little brother a small smile.

"Stop smiling like that!" he yelled, angry tears in his eyes.

"Like what?" Her brows knit in honest confusion.

"That's Mama's 'you'll understand someday' smile! I want your real smile back! I want _you_ back!"

Her smile slipped. Leaving most of her breakfast uneaten, she came around to his side of the table and hugged him. "I want me back too," she said softly. He buried his head in her shoulder. "Listen, Souta, I promise I'll do something fun for my birthday. Just-" her breath caught "just not today, okay?"

* * *

The door above her slid open with a soft clatter and Kagome looked to see her mother silhouetted in the entrance. "I thought I might find you here," Mama said gently. "The well is still closed?" Kagome couldn't speak around the lump in her throat, could only sniff and nod. Mama came down the well-house steps and put an arm around her. "I'm sure your friends are alright," she soothed. "They sound like very strong people."

"They are," Kagome husked, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "So it didn't work today. Maybe it'll be tomorrow or some day after that. It _will_ work again, Mama. I'll find a way make it work if I have to."

* * *

Her friends were waiting for her at the school gate. "You're late, Kagome! You're not having a relapse, are you?" Ayumi asked with concern.

Kagome winced and Eri elbowed Ayumi sharply. "I wish."

The three friends exchanged a bewildered glance. "Hurry up," Yuki hissed at Eri as the silence stretched uncomfortably "She's getting sad again!"

Eri cleared her throat and put on a cheery face. "Anyway enough of that! Today's your birthday and since we missed your last one, we are gonna do this in _style_!" She raised her hand triumphantly into the air and smugly counted off. "One: Karaoke in the deluxe lounge on Orion-douri. Two: Parfaits and sweets until we burst at the Night Cat Café. Three: Movies and makeovers at my place!"

"No." Their grins slipped. Kagome's face was calm but her voice was full of tears. Her face, when she turned, was troublingly pale. "I-it sounds great, Eri, it really does but today I can't."

"I knew it!" Ayumi frowned and pushed scolding finger into Kagome's face. "You ARE relapsing! You're pushing yourself to be here aren't you?!" Kagome hesitated and that was all the evidence Ayumi needed. "Then for goodness sake, _go home_!"

She could almost – no, she really could see the flames of righteous anger surrounding her as her friends did. _One more useless holy power_, she thought bitterly. She summoned a smile for them. "I'll be okay," she said. _At least here, I don't have to think about it._

* * *

Grandpa was sweeping the shrine steps. "Kagome?" he blinked. "What are you doing home?"

He stepped back at the look on her face.

"Because of _someone's_ ludicrous lies," she ground out, "my friends all seem to think I'm made of glass. They threatened to tell the teacher and the school nurse unless I came home." Her shoulders slumped. "Grandpa, I can't--"

He followed her gaze to the well house. "Well, what's done is done," he said briskly. "There's no point in you going back now. You go get changed then come help me in the storehouse."

"But-" she started automatically then stopped, looking at him in surprised understanding. Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Grandpa," she said and ran into the house.

* * *

_I worked so hard for this_, she mused, hanging the dark blue blazer in her closet. _All that studying, fighting demons then studying more…Sometimes it felt like I was fighting my textbooks as much as I was fighting Naraku._ Her eyes fell on her old middle school uniform and she swallowed hard.

_I was so proud of myself for getting into my school of choice. I couldn't wait to ditch that green sailor suit._ Carefully she put away the blouse, tie and skirt. Dressed now in jeans and a large, raggedy sweatshirt, she paused at the door and looked back at the closet wistfully. _If the well would open again, I'd wear the stupid thing forever._

* * *

"Careful with that," Grandpa warned her as she handed down an old cloth-covered crock. Lecturing her on its ancient history and baleful deeds, he shuffled over and found a spot for it on the shelves they'd spent most of the morning cleaning. _Maybe the Jewel was never sealing me at all, _she thought with some asperity. _Maybe Grandpa's stories are just that boring!_

Grandpa came back and surveyed their work with an air of satisfaction. "Looks like we're almost done this shelf, my dear," he said. "Why don't we stop for lunch?"

Later, on the way back to the storehouse, Grandpa stopped to pick up a dolly and a hand-truck. "The stuff on the bottom shelves is always the heaviest," he said. "We'll need some help." Then he stopped in the middle of the yard. Glancing at the kitchen window, where Mama was cleaning up from lunch, he grinned conspiratorially at her. "Hop on." Kagome grinned back as she stepped onto the hand-truck. Leaning back and getting a good grip on the sides, she nodded her readiness. For a few moments, as they rattled over the yard, her heart was light again and she laughed.

"Whew!" Grandpa panted at the storehouse door. "That's not as easy as it used to be!"

Kagome pulled a chair over for him. "Next time," she promised, "I'll do the pushing!"

He favored her with a mock glare. "I'm not so old yet!"

"Of course not, Grandpa," she laughed. Hoisting the dolly under one arm she went back to where they'd left off.

* * *

_I can't believe all the junk in here_, she thought later as she paused to ease a cramp. _And each and every one is a "sacred trust."_ "Grandpa!" she groused. "What the heck is in this thing? It weighs a ton!" Again she tried and failed to haul a large, wooden box up onto the dolly.

"No one knows," he said mysteriously. She glared. "Truly!" he protested. "This box was given into the keeping of our shrine by a great fox demon many centuries ago. No one has ever been able to open it, so powerful is the spell he laid upon it."

"I think I'd've felt it if it were that strong," she huffed. Curious in spite of herself, she ran a hand over the top and frowned._There __**is**__ magic here_, she frowned. "It's strong," she murmured, "but not powerful. There are… layers… here. Maybe … three? Three different magics. That's what gives it the strength." Her questing hand had wiped off some of the dust, revealing characters burned into the lid. Brushing more of the dust away, she bent over to read them.  
Behind her, Grandpa shook his head, puzzled. "What on earth could it mean? 'The Right Black Pearl?'"

"MAMA!" Kagome broke from her shock and flung herself at the doorway. "MAMA! I need a crowbar RIGHT NOW!"

* * *

"Open! Open, curse you!" Her raw hands fumbled and the crowbar slipped. The sharp clatter of the tool hitting the floor echoed around the storehouse as Kagome slid down weeping against the box. Mama came forward and wrapped a consoling arm around her shoulders. "I was so _sure_!" Kagome whispered. "'The Right Black Pearl!' What else could it be?"

"What_is_ 'The Right Black Pearl?'" Mama asked.

Kagome was no longer listening. "Wait," she croaked. Pushing herself up, she brushed hurriedly at the dust covering an old piece of paper stuck on a corner of the box. "Wait, I know what this is! This is Miroku's!"

Mama hesitated, but the question had to be asked. "Sweety, that seal is so old and faded, can you be sure it's his writing?" To her surprise, Kagome laughed.

"I know it's not his," Kagome paused to flash a grin at her mother. "It's mine. I often helped him prepare them. We made a HUGE batch before that last time we went after Naraku. He was probably set for life." Shaking with excitement, she searched each face of the box and found several more sealing sutras. "I've been doing this all wrong!" Ignoring the dirt, she placed both hands on the top of the box and listened with every bit of mystic might she had. Mama and Grandpa exchanged concerned looks over her head.

Tears dripped into the dust. Sniffling slightly, Kagome pulled back. Leaving her hands on the box, she bowed as deeply as she could. "Miroku, Kaede, Shippo," she said clearly, "thank you."

The box glowed in response and the sutras disappeared. In wonder Grandpa and Mama watched the light build and fade but the moment it was done, Kagome was at work. This time the lid levered off easily. "What's with this stuff?" Confused and frustrated, Kagome pawed through the sticky strands. _This is a shoulder! _she thought. Heart hammering, she began pulling and tearing at the material, to no avail. Angry, she ripped harder. Her hands began to glow with holy power and where they touched, the strands disintegrated. In her agitation, she hardly noticed. The strange stuff was getting out of her way; that was all that mattered.

* * *

_The acrid scent faded and with it went the unpleasant dreams. A new scent, dear and nostalgic filled his nose. Peace settled over him and soaked through skin and soul together, welcome as warmth in mid-winter. A deep breath – hm, the first he could remember in ages; now why would that be? – and he smiled. Luxuriating in the feel of movement again, he turned over and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Gold eyes slid open, met wide gray eyes and drank in a sight a thousand times welcomed._

* * *

"Kagome."

It spoke. _He_ spoke. Numb with shock and unable to speak, she reached out a shaking hand. Her fingertips brushed his cheek. Reassured but not convinced, her hand moved up, caressing his face, through his wild white bangs and at last to his ears. They twitched as she hesitantly tweaked them. "Real…" she breathed, tweaking again, more vigorously.

The boy beneath her glowered. "Oi."

"Inuyasha…" she choked. Then, "Inuyasha!" she cried and flung herself at him.

The scent of her tears struck him only marginally before she did and he froze. Together they tumbled back into the box. "Urk."

* * *

Gesturing Inuyasha to a seat by the fire pit, Miroku went to a corner and pulled out a familiar yellow bag. "What're you doing with that?" Inuyasha protested angrily. "That's Kagome's!"

"A fact of which I am perfectly aware," the monk replied, only a little archly. "I did not think that Lady Kagome would mind if, through perusing her effects, I was able to return her to us. So I took the liberty."

Inuyasha grunted morosely. "Bah. All she's got in there is her weird clothes, medicines and books."

Miroku smiled. "Do not underestimate the value of books, my friend."

"Yeah, well, good luck selling them, ya money-grubbing priest. The characters they use in her country are weird; nobody'll want books they can't read."

"That," the monk said smugly, holding up a thick blue book, "is what dictionaries are for."

Just then there was a clatter from the door as Sango and Shippo came in. "You sent for us, husband?" Sango said with an inquiring look at Miroku.

"Ah, I'm glad little Sayori found you so quickly," he answered. "Come in and sit down. I have an important discovery to share."

"You did it!" Shippo burst out, eyeing Kagome's bag. "You found a way to bring Kagome back!"

Three pairs of eyes fixed on the monk with hopeful intensity. "You asshole," Inuyasha managed through a suddenly tight throat, "why didn't you just say so!"

Miroku shook his head sadly. "Alas, I have not found a way to bring Lady Kagome to us. What I have discovered," he continued over their protests, "is the secret of Kagome's country."

"In't that the same thing?" Inuyasha's response was desperate, as was his grip on the scrap of Kagome's uniform he still wore tied to the Beads of Subjugation.

"Through careful study of Kagome's books – and, as you noted earlier Inuyasha, the characters are strange and it was not an easy task – I have learned that while we cannot bring Kagome here, we can go to her. In a way."

Instantly the dog-demon was in Miroku's face. "HOW?" he demanded.

"Kagome's home is not another land or even another world but another time, one far ahead of us. Inuyasha, Shippo, as demons you live far longer than humans. You have but to wait and watch."

They all stared at him, open-mouthed in surprise and confusion. "Sango," he turned to his wife and put a compassionate hand on her shoulder, "you and I cannot take that path. We will have to trust that Buddha's mercy will see us unite with our friend in another life."

Inuyasha frowned. "How long?" he asked hoarsely.

Miroku turned back to his friend. "Hm?"

"How long do I have to wait?"

"If I am reading Lady Kagome's book correctly, 400 years."

_Four hundred years? _Too shocked to notice Sango and Shippo's responses, Inuyasha stood as though turned to stone. His grip on Kagome's uniform tie was painfully tight. _I'm barely makin' it from sun-up to sun-down and he wants me to wait FOUR HUNDRED YEARS?!!_ "Miroku," he rasped, "I'm cutting you some slack 'cause we've fought together so much, but you are about to push me one step too far. Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"Husband," Sango clutched one hand to her heart, "Are you certain of this?"

Miroku gestured helplessly. "A certain as I can be."

"I know some demons take the long view," Shippo wailed, "but this is ridiculous! I'll be all grown up by then! Kagome won't even know me!"

"I am not as cruel as you think," Miroku held up a restraining hand. "There is another possibility, but you must be very sure."

Inuyasha fisted his hand in the monk's robe and hauled him in for a good glaring. "I don't care what it is. As long as it gets me to Kagome, I'm sure."

"Me too!" Shippo added.

Miroku hesitated. "I don't know that you should join him, Shippo. I won't forbid you but hear me out before you make up your mind. When we are done, there will be no way back."

The building shook as Inuyasha pounded his fist into the floor in frustration. "Enough talking, monk! Get to the point!"

"I know a way for you to skip the intervening years. For you, it shall be as a single night. You'll sleep through the centuries, sealed and guarded in the shrine."

"How can that be?" Sango interjected, frowning.

"I won't say there isn't some risk," Miroku continued. "We don't know what might yet happen in the future but from things you and Lady Kagome have said, Inuyasha, I have reason to believe that the shrine Priestess Kaede tends is the very shrine that Lady Kagome calls home."

"How do you plan to do this?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously. "I ain't lettin' one of you lot try to pin me with a sealing arrow!"

"No, no," Miroku said, reaching up into the rafters and bringing down a small, white, wrapped thing. "We'll use this."

"What is that?" Shippo's curiosity instantly got the better of him and he reached out to poke it. "Ewww, it's sticky!"

"Slice along here, if you would," Miroku held the bundle up to the half-demon.

"What if I wouldn't?" Inuyasha grumbled but did so anyway. A rabbit soon struggled out of the cocoon and scrambled to get away but the half-demon was too fast for it. "How is this gonna help?" he asked, holding the rabbit by the ears and watching it kick.

"Not the rabbit." Miroku picked up the discarded white strands. "The cocoon was made of spider-demon silk."

"Spider demons?!" Shippo and Inuyasha both shuddered in revulsion.

"Yes. The magic of a spider-demon silk cocoon will, as our friend rabbit has proven, keep anything inside in a state of suspended animation." His explanation was met with blank looks. "A magic sleep, not unlike the one Inuyasha was in, where you will neither age nor need sustenance."

* * *

Frowning, Sango looked down at the box full of spider-demon silk. "I still don't like it," she said.

"How do you know Kagome will find it? How do you know she'll even know what it is?"

"These seals were made by Lady Kagome's own hand," Miroku answered as he carefully laid out the sacred seals. "They shall guide her."

"I know Kagome," Inuyasha said. "She'll remember." Sango drew breath for another try but Inuyasha headed her off. "Sango, do you know how long a half-demon can live?"

She blinked in consternation. "…No."

"Neither do I. I can't take the chance. End. Of. Discussion."

Sango sighed and nodded sadly.

* * *

There was silence in the kitchen when Inuyasha stopped talking. Wordlessly Mama Higurashi handed him a glass of water and just as wordlessly he accepted it and drank it down. One hand played fitfully with the scrap of fabric tied to his necklace. He kept glancing at Kagome then away and opening his mouth to speak but clearly losing his nerve. Kagome, for her part, could only stare at him in a state verging on awe. Mama smiled to herself and hustled Souta and Grandpa into another room. Looking meaningfully back at the closed kitchen door, she put a finger to her lips. Souta started to protest but she fixed him with a stern look and a shake of her head. "Later," she murmured then turned to the phone.

"What are you doing?" Grandpa asked curiously.

"Inuyasha has no legal existence here," Mama replied. "I'm calling an old friend who may be able to help."

* * *

Back in the kitchen, Kagome was just coming out her shock. "Inuyasha…" she breathed. His gaze snapped back to hers and a funny half-smile pulled at his mouth. She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. Her heart seemed to have climbed up into her throat. "You… to take such a risk… for me…"

A sad almost-chuckle escaped him. He turned his hand in hers and gripped it tightly. "Better to sleep and know nothing than wake to one more day without you, Kagome." A blazing smile -- a little sadder, a little older than when she first fallen down the well, but still undeniably Kagome – was his reward and he found himself smiling foolishly back at her. They tried to talk at the same time, stopped to let the other continue and lapsed back into grinning at each other like idiots. _Happy idiots but still idiots_, flashed through his mind but he was feeling too good to care for long.

There was a sound at the door. "Your brother," Inuyasha said softly, ears twitching. Kagome glared evilly at the door then, dragging a surprised but unresisting Inuyasha with her, fled the house.

* * *

"We should be safe in here for a while anyway," she said, stealthily sliding the well-house door closed. Turning around, she found Inuyasha staring thoughtfully at the well. "Thinking about the others?" she asked softly.

He made an affirmative sound. Coming up beside him, Kagome found herself wrapped up in her own thoughts. "I wonder what Sango had," she murmured. "I hope she had a safe delivery… Wait a second!" She turned and grabbed Inuyasha by the front of his Fire Rat robe. He blinked down at her in confusion. "You talked about their house like it was in Kaede's village! Is that where they settled?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, brow furrowed.

"I thought Sango wanted to re-build the Demon Slayer village."

Inuyasha shrugged. "She said there was too much sadness there for her. I think she meant there were too many reminders for Kohaku. And after we lost you, I think they all wanted to be nearby if you ever came back. I know I did," he added with twisted smile.

"That's great! We can look through the shrine records for them!" Kagome was struck by another thought. "Wasn't Shippo cocooned with you?"

"He wanted to be. Miroku made us try it out first, before he put the final seals on. Shippo said he hated it. Said something about 'feeling his life waiting to be lived,' or somesuch rot. Before I went in for good, he promised to keep an eye on things for me."

"Grandpa said your box had been given to the shrine by a great fox-demon. I thought it was more of his fairy tales but maybe there was some truth to it," she mused.

Inuyasha snorted. "That runt? A 'great fox-demon?'"

"You never know," Kagome continued, still thoughtful. "It has been a long time." Suddenly she gasped and clapped her hands with delight. "He's probably still around! Maybe we can find him in this time!" As if to start the search right then, Kagome spun toward the door. Inuyasha's hand shot out and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her heart suddenly going a mile a minute. His claws pricked at her scalp, making it tingle pleasantly as one hand wound itself in her hair.

"Kagome! Sis! Where are you?" Souta's voice drifted through the door; fortunately he was still nowhere near the well house. Inuyasha turned toward the sound but Kagome gripped his robe tightly and pulled him back to her.

_Not this time, Souta. Not this time_, she grinned against Inuyasha's mouth triumphantly. She laughed at the dazed expression on his face and pulled him down for another kiss.

* * *

Later, high in the branches of the God-tree they sat looking out over the city together. Kagome nestled contentedly in Inuyasha's arms, his wide red sleeves protecting her from the cool night air. He rested his head against hers, drawing in slow, deep breaths that tickled her ear. "I love you, you know," he blurted roughly.

"Yeah, I know," she responded brightly. He whuffed in irritation. Tipping her head back, she pressed her cheek to his and slid one hand up to caress the side of his face. "I love you too," she whispered. A soft sound that Kagome could never quite identify escaped him then and he hugged her fiercely.

"I promise you we'll find them all," he swore some minutes later. "In this life or that one, we'll all be together again."

"I know we will." Kagome swung her feet idly. "I wonder if Sesshomaru's out there somewhere too."

"Don't. Just don't," he groaned.

She giggled.


End file.
